21.10.2016

India - Ensure more ryots avail crop insurance scheme

The Telangana State government must ensure that more farmers availed the Central government’s crop insurance scheme, said Union Minister for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya here on Thursday. Addressing a press conference here after reviewing crop loans with State Level Bankers’ Committee, the Minister pointed out that only eight lakh farmers were utilising crop insurance scheme while the farmers eligible to avail it were nearly 37 lakh. “The State government must direct agricultural field officers to ensure that all the eligible farmers benefit from the scheme,” the Minister said. He felt the scheme was the best shield the government could offer to farmers. In case of crop damage or other losses, they can fall back on the scheme’s support. Equally important was to make use of the Centre’s Soil Health Scheme. All farmers in Telangana must be persuaded to secure Soil Health Cards, he said. Reiterating that Narendra Modi’s government was committed to farmers’ welfare, he said Rs. 1,515 crore was allocated for National Disaster Fund for the period 2015-20. The money allotted to this Fund earlier was mere Rs. 143 crore during the Congress regime in 2010-15, he added. “This allocation of funds clearly shows how different are Congress and BJP governments,” Mr. Dattatreya remarked. criticising that Congress always targeted BJP only on communal issues. He advised the Congress party to judge BJP from the parameters of economic progress instead of attributing communal issues to the ruling party. Even in supply of fertilisers, the BJP government was way ahead of the previous Congress regime, he added. There used to be serpentine queues and frequent lathi-charge on agriculturists during sale of fertilisers during the previous government rule. He claimed that no such incidents were reported now. Referring to triple Talaq issue, Mr. Dattatreya said some Muslim women were fighting for gender justice, but the attempt to politicise the issue by some parties like Congress was unfair. Source - http://www.thehindu.com

21.10.2016

New Zealand - Intense hail storm blitzes Motueka kiwifruit orchard

Motueka orchardist Richard Horrell may not run his packhouse this summer after most of his kiwifruit and apple crops were destroyed in last Friday's intense storm. Horrell was with his accountant when the storm hit. He came home to find 30mm of hail at his back doorstep. While he is insured, claims he made after hail last year meant his possible cheque would be reduced. "The loss of potential earnings is quite high." Horrell had 13 hectares of apple and kiwifruit orchard and a further 13ha of grapes across land in Lower Moutere/Motueka. Five of his six blocks of apples were badly hit, all his green and gold G16A kiwifruit have been written off, along with one of his Gold G3 blocks, he said. Hail stones up to 20mm cross had completely stripped his green kiwifruit vines. "We will salvage what we can. But it will be about a month before we know the extent of the damage," Horrell said. The volume of fruit salvaged would decide if Horrell ran his packhouse at the end of the season. "If we don't it will mean a loss of jobs. But the district is short of packing capacity, however if our volume is low it will not cover the fixed costs." It was the second year Horrell had been hit by hail. He had rot in his grapes last year as well. "We are becoming a bit blase about disaster - which is not good. But all in all it has not been a good episode." General manager of Riwaka's Fry Rod Ltd, Jared Fry, said around five hectares of its Peach Island kiwifruit block were destroyed in the first hail storm earlier this month. The hail had broken off young canes and stripped leaves. Fry said the company's orchards had been hit hard by hail in 2014 and "tickled" last year. "Mother Nature is a hard mistress," he said. Riwaka kiwifruit grower and NZ Kiwifruit Growers South Island representative, Paul Thomas, said the hail caused isolated pockets of damage across the region. Damage to fruit already set meant reduced volumes. "There has also been a lot of cane damage, which potentially affects next year's crop as well." Source - www.stuff.co.nz/

20.10.2016

Spain - Climate change already affecting citrus, grapes and almonds

It may seem that climate change is still far away, affecting just the ice at the poles, but it's already here and its impact is to be seen in our daily lives. Products such as Valencia's oranges, for instance, are suffering from the impact of drought. "This year, the production costs of oranges have increased by between 8 and 10%," explains Cristóbal Aguado, president of AVA-ASAJA. The shortage of water causes citrus fruits to be smaller, resulting in many not even being harvested. Moreover, it will become increasingly rare to see almond trees in bloom in Spain. The heat is reducing the almond production and prices will rise. We will also see grapes disappearing from south to north. In 50 years, if nothing changes, our Designations of Origin will lose its relevance. "The acreage and production volume will decrease in the Mediterranean and Central Europe," affirms Felipe Fernández, Professor of geography and physics at the Autonomous University of Madrid. All this would force us to change our consumption habits, although we still have time to stop climate change if we take action to reduce our CO2 emissions. Source - http://www.freshplaza.com

20.10.2016

Argentina - Fruit flies affect 20% of the citrus from the NEA

The National Health and Agricultural Food Quality Service (Senasa) and the Ministry of Agricultural Industry, will host the 9th, Western Hemisphere's, Meeting of the Fruit Flies Working Group, a plague that has decreased fruit production by 20% in the citrus region of northeastern Argentina. "The fruit fly is a pest that causes direct damage in fruit production because the flies lay their eggs in the fruit and the larvae born there feed directly on the fruit," said the Director of Plant Health of Senasa, Wilda Ramirez. "Effective control of this plague is achieved through national plans that, in the NEA, aim at reducing that 20% and at protecting the areas that are free of the presence of the fly so that they remain that way," said Ramirez. "This work involves everybody. The producers and the consumers, because people must understand the risks of moving infected fruits across the Patagonian limits - a region that is free of the plague - as it could put at risk all of the economies of those provinces," he added. The meeting will be held on Monday, October 17th, and continue until the following Friday, at the Buenos Aires Auditorium in Buenos Aires. In it, the participants will discuss the issues that the plague has caused at the continental level. There are two species of fruit fly in Argentina, the American and the Mediterranean fruit flies. Their habitat extends over the entire national territory, except Patagonia, because its climate does not allow the insect to develop. The meeting will be attended by 250 to 300 scientists, researchers, specialists in the management of fruit flies, representatives of national plant protection agencies (ONPF), and representatives of industries from different countries in the continent that will share their latest discoveries, identify needs, and promote new technologies to combat this pest. "All the countries of America have control programs for the fruit fly. Its presence complicates marketing these products. That's why one of the major topics at the meeting will be quarantine and the post-harvest treatments to which the fruits are subjected," said the Director of Plant Health at Senasa, Wilda Ramirez. Source - http://www.freshplaza.com

20.10.2016

Spain - Murcia's vegetable production to fall by 40%, due to drought

Exporters and cooperative organizations have warned that drought is taking a toll on the planting this season, and as a result, the harvest volume expected for early 2017 will be reduced. Fecoam has estimated this drop at 40 percent. Santiago Martínez, president of Fecoam, which brings together 86 cooperatives and 22,000 members, said that final data on the losses in sales to foreign markets will be available between February and March. Meanwhile, the president of Proexport, Juan Marín, has stressed that the lack of the necessary irrigation resources since the summer has caused a decline in the production volume and, above all, in the quality of the fruit, which fails to meet the minimum requirements of international chains. Therefore, he explained that the production is moving to neighbouring provinces, where the weather is not as benign, but where they have the necessary water resources, although he lamented how the workforce is affected by this change, making it necessary for labourers to move or for new ones to be hired at origin. For his part, Francisco López, president of Fecamur, which has 30 cooperatives and 5,000 members, defended the need to promote the arrival of water from other river basins, and to minimise the use of desalination plants, because of their high cost, reminding us also that Murcian agriculture creates thousands of direct and indirect jobs. Source - http://www.freshplaza.com

20.10.2016

Chile - Up to 30% losses in cherry production due to heavy rainfall

Last weekend, heavy rains were recorded in Chile, which affected cherry producing areas such as Curicó and the metropolitan region. These downpours could result in the loss of 30% of the production in the Seventh Region (Curicó and surroundings) and approximately 20% in the Sixth Region (Metropolitan Area). The problem would primarily affect the early varieties, such as the Royal Dawn and Brooks. Losses with or without rain protection Rodrigo Sánchez, of Agrícola Lo Garces, one of the leading producers of cherries in the area, spoke about the situation. "The rains started on Saturday and lasted until Sunday morning. The Seventh Region is the one with the most severe losses, because it rained up to 50ml, and in the Sixth Region they had 20ml. The consequence is that all early varieties are affected to some degree, as cherries are damaged causing the fruit to burst. Even though most crops are protected from rain, losses could not be avoided." Reduced supply, but the same quality  The forecast for the coming few weeks is that no more rains of such intensity are expected. But if to the current situation we add the impact of the frost recorded a couple of months ago, which caused great damage, the supply will definitely be lower than expected, while demand should remain stable. This imbalance in the market may have a positive impact on prices, which will likely be higher than last year, mainly in the Far East, which is the main market for early varieties. Of the total exports, these damaged varieties account for about 15%. The varieties arriving later, which account for a much greater share of the exports, would not be affected. "We'll start harvesting in about 15 days and we'll continue until mid-January. Despite the lower supply, the fruit quality will not be affected. Fortunately, the current technology is efficient enough to remove the damaged fruit from the packaging lines, so that the packed cherries will have the same quality as usual," stresses Rodrigo. Andres Ruiz, Marketing Manager at Copefruit S.A. reported on social media that rain and hail fell again yesterday afternoon. "Every year there is some damage which affects the potential harvest." Source - http://www.freshplaza.com

20.10.2016

India - Drought in 4th straight year saw huge cut in productivity

Farmers across the state have made insuranceclaims worth Rs 862 crore against the crop losses suffered during the rabi season that ended in March this year. Severe drought last year damaged large tracts of crops. This payout will be the highest since 1999. Officials said the number, though the highest in so many years, is just the tip of the iceberg of losses as the indemnity level for the scheme was 60%, which means farmers who incur losses in more than 60% of the area will only be paid up to 60%. A small section of farmers was not covered under the scheme, so their losses will be unaccounted for.The amount of claims should only be treated as an indicator of the severity of distress the agriculture sector is in due to drought, said the official. Farmers across Maharashtra have made insurance claims worth Rs 862 crore against crop losses suffered during the rabi season. This payout will be the highest since 1999. The insurance payout for the kharif season in 2015-16 of Rs 4,208 crore was the highest since 1999. For the rabi season of 2015 16, a total of 34.26 lakh farmers had opted for insurance of crops on a total area of 25.25 lakh hectares, insuring crops worth Rs 2,858 crore. However, total claims worth Rs 862 crore have been approved by the centrally appointed agricul tural insurance company. Rs 400 crore each will be shared by the state and the Central government towards the payout, while Rs 62 crore is the premium paid by the farmers. The National Agriculture Insurance Scheme (NAIS) is a Central scheme under which premium is fixed depending on the crop that is being insured. Only a small percentage of the total premium is paid by the farmer; the remaining is pooled in by the state and the Centre. "The claims against losses for the last season were exceptionally high as the agriculture sector was going through a low period due to the fourth consecutive year of drought," said a senior official. Due to the severe drought situation in the state, there has been a reduction in both the area under cultivation during the rabi season and agricultural productivity. A total of 62.44 lakh hectares were available for cultivation this year. But data made available by the agriculture department shows only 77.49% of the total land was cultivated during the rabi season. Overall production of all crops came down by 17%, while per hectare productivity reduced by 25%. In 2015-16, almost 70% of the state was drought-affected, which includes over 28,000 villages and 90 lakh of the 1.36 crore farmers in the state. Source - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

20.10.2016

Argentina on alert due to severe storms and hail

The national weather service issued a weather warning as, in the short term, there could be storms with strong gusts of wind and occasional hail storms that could affect several provincial towns. In Cordoba, it could affect the towns of General Roca and Presidente Roque S. Peña. In Buenos Aires, it would affect the cities of 25 de Mayo, 9 de Julio, Bolivar, Carlos Casares, Carlos Tejedor, Florentino Ameghino, Gral. Pinto, Gral. Villegas, Lincoln, Pehuajó, Rivadavia, and Trenque Lauquen. In La Pampa, the storm could affect Chapaleufú, Conhelo, Muraco, Parera, Realicó, and Trenel. Additionally, the National Weather Service issued a warning for the provinces of Neuquén, Mendoza and San Juan, of strong, gusting winds in the mountainous areas. They stated that that area would be affected by winds and gusts coming from the West at speeds that range between 70 and 110 kilometers per hour." In addition, they stated, "the storm will be accompanied by snow and there is the possibility of white winds in the high mountains of Mendoza and San Juan." There will also be strong storms that could affect crops in the North, Centre, and South-East of the province of Buenos Aires, in Cordoba, in the South of Entre Rios, in the Centre and East of La Pampa, the South of Santa Fe, in San Luis, in the autonomous city of Buenos Aires, and in Río de la Plata. The Agency said that some of the storms could have a strong intensity,  with an abundant amount of water falling in short periods, gusts, hail, and strong electrical activity. Source - http://www.freshplaza.com

19.10.2016

Philippine agri production loss from typhoon Sarika hits 61.86 mln USD

The Philippines has incurred huge losses in the agriculture sector amounting to almost 3 billion pesos (61.86 million US dollars) due to typhoon Sarika, locally named as Karen, a senior government official said Tuesday. Latest report from the field showed that the total production loss in agriculture due to Sarika was already estimated to reach 2.972 billion pesos, according to Christopher V. Morales, an official in the Agriculture Department. "A total of 260,002 hectares of agricultural areas, with an estimated production loss of 215,716 metric tons and a total of 86,261 farmers were affected in CAR (Cordillera Administrative Region) and Regions I, III, IV-A and V," Morales said in a memorandum to Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol. The products affected were rice, corn and vegetables including livestock. Sarika left the Philippines Monday morning after it made a landfall in the northern province of Aurora. The Department of Agriculture is now monitoring typhoon Haima, locally named as Lawin, which is expected to make a landfall over northern province of Cagayan by early Thursday morning. Source - http://www.globaltimes.cn

19.10.2016

Canada - Farmers Still Hoping to Combine Canola

About 20 per cent of the Saskatchewan crop remains to be combined, but every field is different. Some are snow covered while others have no snow, but are very wet. There have been plenty of discussions locally (at elevators and coffee shops) and on social media (Twitter, Facebook) about what to do---if and when conditions improve. The Canola Council of Canada's agronomy specialist for east-central Saskatchewan, Warren Ward says many topics are being discussed. "At what moisture would they be willing to combine and what are some of the different management strategies they would use once they had harvested some of those tough crops. Everyone is going to have a different perspective and different equipment available to them, but I think having someone else to bounce those ideas off of is always a learning experience people can benefit from." Ward says a small area of standing canola in his region was combined prior to the latest rain this past weekend. (Oct 15-16) "I did hear the odd report of somebody trying or thinking of trying some standing canola that was anywhere between 11 and 12 per cent moisture content. At this stage in the game at those moisture contents, I think that if a person is able to get at it, they would be probably be taking it off of the field." Ward adds that growers harvesting at a high moisture content should have a management plan for the canola after it goes in the bin. Source - http://www.saskatoonhomepage.ca

19.10.2016

Nigeria - Climate change threatens government’s diversification agenda

The United Nation’s Environment Ecosystem Based Adaptation for Food Security Assembly (EBAFOSA) has warned that climate change may be a threat to the Federal Government’s diversification effort into agriculture. ‎ According to EBAFOSA, Climate Change is likely to drive majority of the population into destitution as assets are lost and resources diverted to deal with emergencies, instead of being used for physical, social and economic infrastructure development. The National President of EBAFOSA in Nigeria, James Oyesola, at a briefing on this year’s World Food Day, recently, said the ‎frequency and intensity of extreme events, heat waves, droughts and floods are likely to increase, leading to reduced yield levels and disruptions in food production and distribution channels. He noted that the theme for the 2016 World Food Day, “Climate is changing. Food and Agriculture must too”, is very unique and timely taking into cognisance that one of the biggest issues related to climate change is food security vis a vis agriculture. “Temperature rise and changes in timing magnitude, and distribution of precipitation are likely to increase moisture and heat stress on crops and livestock which will make agricultural practices unpredictable,” he said. Oyesola said agriculture is the most vulnerable to Climate Change, more as it is dominated by small scale farmers who rely on rain-feed agriculture, due to widespread of poverty and low levels of technical development. He explained that there are considerable evidences that climate change is already affecting people in Nigeria and its environment, thereby creating strong negative impact, as some areas are becoming too hot for certain crops or animals, while it rains little or too much in some to foster farming, leading to the outbreak of climate sensitive diseases. “All these are serious indications which may serve as a disincentives for farmers who could produce more food, potentially contributing to even lower food production and a threat to food security. There will be reduction and loss of income (poverty), loss of crops and livestock’s, high prices of food and other commodities which may lead to civil strife. There may also be intensification of migration out of agriculture, increased morbidity and mortality of human and livestock, loss of biodiversity, decline in the rate of economic growth (also increase in imports), loss of traditional export markets,” he warned. The UNEP-EBAFOSA President however said the way out is to develop ‎the ecologically sustainable and resilient food production by increasing the proportion of agriculture that uses sustainable, organic methods of farming. He said: “For us to be in tandem with this year World Food Day theme, our Intended Nationally Determined Contributions and Sustainable Development Goals”, major investments are needed to ensure that vulnerable farmers in Nigeria have the tools to build their resilience, adapt and contribute to food security. There should also be new public investment in agriculture with emphasis on agro-ecological based approaches (EbA); it is also important to foster people – centred resilience in order to help vulnerable small scale farmers achieve food security. Finally, vulnerable farmers who are particularly women and small-scale farmers should be treated as key partners in the struggle against climate change.‎” Source - http://guardian.ng

19.10.2016

Philippines - Typhoon Karen destroys nearly P2.97 billion worth of crops

As of October 18, the DA said a total of 215,716 metric tons (MT) of crops planted in 260,002 hectares of agricultural lands in Regions 1, 3, 4A and 5 were affected by the typhoon. The DA said the rice sector suffered the brunt of Karen as it registered a production loss of 205,870 MT, valued at P2.81 billion. The typhoon also destroyed 5,195 MT of high-value crops with an estimated value of P106.43 million. Corn crops damaged by the typhoon reached 4,651 MT, worth P60.34 million. The DA said rice farmers in Region 3, or Central Luzon—considered the rice granary of the Philippines—incurred the biggest loss. The typhoon destroyed a total of 167,869 MT of rice, valued at P2.21 billion, planted in Region 3. Rice farmers in Tarlac were hardest hit, as they lost P1.04 billion worth of crops. Data from the DA showed that Region 5, or the Bicol region, recorded crop damages amounting to P465.12 million. Also hit were Regions 1 and 4A, which posted losses reaching P172.93 and P13.97 million, respectively. However, the DA expressed confidence that crops planted in more than 98 percent of affected areas have chances of recovery. The agency is currently conducting field validation of the data it collected. Typhoon Karen exited the Philippine area of responsibility on Monday. But another typhoon, which is stronger than Karen, is expected to hit the country this week. In a memorandum, the DA directed its regional offices that are in the pathway of Typhoon Lawin (international code name Haima) to take the necessary precautionary measures. “Activate immediately your respective quick-response center and prepare and secure seed buffer stocks,” the memo addressed to DA-Regional Field Office (RFO) heads in Regions 1, 2, 3, 4A, 5, and the Cordillera Administrative Region read. The memo, signed by Roy Abaya, OIC undersecretary for Operations, asked RFOs to coordinate with affected neighboring regions to determine and provide their needed assistance. The RFOs were also directed to closely monitor updates from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), secure their respective personnel and properties, and relocate livestock in their jurisdiction to safer places. “Submit regular updates to the Office of Secretary and Office of the OIC Undersecretary for Operations daily every 9 a.m., including holidays,” the memorandum read. The Pagasa said Lawin is expected to make a landfall over Cagayan on Thursday and could even become a supertyphoon. Source - http://www.businessmirror.com.ph

19.10.2016

Canada - Crop Hail Claims Above Normal in Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan has an interesting situation with a larger number of total claims----but a lower average payout per claim. The Canadian Crop Hail Association indicates losses tracked above the five-year average at 11,001 claims. An average year is usually closer to 8,000. "Our adjustors were really taxed," says Rodney Schoettler, chief executive officer with Saskatchewan Municipal Hail Insurance. "It hailed every day in July and August this year. July is normal to have hail everyday, but not August. Since harvest was delayed, we also had more claims than usual in September." Schoettler says crop hail claims were filed in 280 of the 297 rural municipalities in Saskatchewan. Total payouts amounted to just over $124 million, resulting in a 70.8 per cent loss ratio. The number is close to the long-term average, but well below the 45.6 per cent loss ratio in 2015. "We had a lot of small events, more localized hail storms. You would have the pocket in the middle where it was heavy and then it would be real light on the outside. It (usually) was just small areas that were hit." Some areas---including Kindersley, Moose Jaw and Frontier had multiple hail events during the growing season. Manitoba had the worst year for hail in Western Canada with a loss ratio of 142.6 per cent. Total losses were reported at $67 million, which is a sharp increase over last year's total of $46 million. Alberta reported crop hail payouts of $64 million compared to $50 million last year. The loss ratio was 81.8 per cent. Based on these numbers, farmers in Manitoba can expect to pay more for crop hail insurance next year. Some Alberta customers could see increases as well, while Schoettler anticipates Saskatchewan will be ''relatively flat." Source - http://www.saskatoonhomepage.ca

19.10.2016

Australia - Frost Appeal to support affected growers

THE CBH Group has launched an appeal to support grain growers affected by recent frosts. The appeal invites growers to donate grain to be sold after harvest. CBH Grower and External Relations general manager Brianna Peake said proceeds from grain donations would be distributed to growers who were not able to recover enough seed for planting next year's crop. "While the extent of damage caused by the frosts remains unclear, we're aware that some growers have lost a significant amount of their crop for this season," Ms Peake said. "The frost appeal is just one measure we are putting in place to assist these growers." Other measures include segregations offered at certain sites to take frost damaged grain. CBH's operations team will endeavour to maximise the value of this grain that growers have left to deliver. Growers will need to consult with CBH representatives at their local receival sites to assess the service requirements. Growers who have concerns about contract commitments with CBH marketing and trading or Pre-Pay Advantage contracts are advised to contact their business relationship manager. CBH is also working to support growers at a grassroots level with funds allocated for community-focused events. "Over the coming weeks our country-based managers will be holding barbecues or beer and pizza nights in local communities to give growers an opportunity to support one another," Ms Peake said. "We understand there is a lot of pressure on those that have been impacted by frost and peer support is incredibly important." CBH is also working with its mental health partner The Black Dog Institute to communicate support services and resources to growers at a local level. Source - http://www.farmweekly.com.au

18.10.2016

India - Farmers may have shifted to high risk farming due to crop insurance

The rapid transformation of farming and food systems to cope with a warmer world, such as adopting climate-smart practices, particularly to curb greenhouse gas emissions, is critical for hunger and poverty reduction, the United Nations agriculture agency said in a report. The State of Food and Agriculture 2016 (SOFA): Climate change, agriculture and food security said that under the worst-case scenario, much of the forecast increase in the number of poor occurs in Africa (43 million) and South Asia (62 million). Reduced income in the agricultural sector explains the largest share of increased poverty as a result of climate change. This is because the most severe reductions in food production and increases in food prices occur in Africa and India, which account for a large share of the world’s poor. The second most important factor leading to increased poverty is health impacts, followed by the impacts of higher temperatures on labour productivity. The report stated that index-based insurance, which pays out benefits on the basis of indices such as rainfall, area-average yields and vegetation conditions measured by satellites, is being tested as a risk-mitigation tool in several countries. When an index exceeds a predetermined threshold, farmers receive a quick pay-out, delivered in some cases via mobile phones. However, index-based insurance by itself does not provide a full solution to climate-related risk. “For example, India’s Weather-Based Crop Insurance Scheme may have prompted a shift among participants towards more profitable but higher risk farm production systems, thanks to subsidized premiums. Uptake of index-based insurance has been generally limited because it usually involves high transaction costs. Another problem is a lack of trust in insurance institutions.” The report went on to say that multiple stressors greatly affect animal production, reproduction and immune status. “Research in India found that a combination of climate-related stresses on sheep – for example, excessive heat and lower nutritional intake – had severe impacts on the animals’ biological coping mechanisms.” “There is no doubt climate change affects food security,” said the director-general of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), José Graziano da Silva. “What climate change does is to bring back uncertainties from the time we were all hunter gatherers. We cannot assure any more that we will have the harvest we have planted,” he added. That uncertainty also translates into volatile food prices. “Everybody is paying for that, not only those suffering from droughts,” Mr. Graziano da Silva said. It is agriculture, including forestry, fisheries and livestock production, which is contributing to a warmer world by generating around a fifth of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, agriculture must both contribute more to combating climate change while bracing to overcome its impacts, the report said. Without action, agriculture will continue to be a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions. But by adopting climate-smart practices and increasing the capacity of soils and forests to sequester carbon, emissions can be reduced while stepping up food production to feed the world’s growing population, the report added. The report provides evidence that adoption of climate-smart practices, such as the use of nitrogen-efficient and heat-tolerant crop varieties, zero-tillage and integrated soil fertility management would boost productivity and farmers’ incomes. Widespread adoption of nitrogen-efficient practices alone would reduce the number of people at risk of undernourishment by more than 100 million, the report estimates. “2016 should be about putting commitments into action,” urged Mr. Graziano da Silva, noting the international community last year agreed to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement on climate change, which is expect to come into force early next month. Agriculture will be high on the agenda at the 22nd Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), known as  COP 22, in Morocco starting on November 7. Source - http://www.governancenow.com

18.10.2016

Australia - Sept storms cost farmers hundreds of crops

Recent storms have inundated and demolished the crops in low-lying farms in Condobolin and Forbes in central-west NSW, but have largely left houses and buildings undamaged, it has been reported. Neil Fettell of the NSW Farmers Association told AAP that wheat, barley, and canola farms were worst hit by the storms, with some farms “completely wiped out,” while local stock farmers were able to save most of their sheep and cattle. "The overall production will still be pretty good but for individual farmers it means heavy financial loss," he said. "It's very tough, not just financially but emotionally." The inundated farms are expected to remain flooded for some five more weeks until water level in the Lachlan River gradually subsides, AAP said. Meanwhile, most houses and buildings around Condobolin and Forbes escaped damage from the floods. Insurance claims reached less than $10 million, with insurers receiving about 750 claims from the Forbes region, mostly from low-level storm damage, AAP reported. Road transport in the region is expected to improve after a section of the Newell Highway between Jerilderie and Narrandera was reopened on Thursday. Fettell said the residents were able to prepare better for the floods thanks to the internet and social media. Source - http://www.insurancebusinessonline.com.au